The Royal Calcutta Turf Club (RCTC) can have the honour of internet hosting the 62nd working of the Indian Turf Invitation Cup, after six years, on March 3 (Sunday).
It couldn’t have come at higher time because it offers the RCTC the chance to showcase the exceptional progress and turnaround that it has made within the quest to take racing again to its aggressive finest within the ‘City of Joy’.
The Invitation Weekend is punctuated with six ‘Graded’ races — 4 Grade-1, one Grade-2 and one Grade-3. With a whole prize-money of ₹40 million, it’s the richest weekend ever in RCTC’s historical past.
As the town will get prepared to welcome this Racing Carnival Weekend, the stewards and officers can take a bow as they’ve labored tirelessly to make sure that the 2024 version can be remembered within the years to come.
The HPSL Indian Turf Invitation Cup (Grade 1), run over 2400 metres, would be the pièce de résistance. While the Zavaray S. Poonawalla Sprinters’ Cup (Grade 1) over 1200m can be a blinding check for velocity, the Dr. M.A.M. Ramaswamy Chettiar Of Chettinad Memorial Stayers’ Cup (Grade 1) over 3000m can be a grueling check of stamina.
Also sharing centre-stage can be the Major P.Okay. Mehra Memorial Super Mile Cup (Grade 1) over 1600m for specialist milers, the Suresh Mahindra Multi Million Trophy (Grade 2) over 1400m that’s between a traditional dash and the specialist mile, and the Dashmesh Stud Calcutta Million (Grade 2) for juveniles run over the mile (1600m).
Awards ceremony
More celebrations will occur on March 2 when the RCTC will play host to the ‘Turf Authorities Of India Racing Awards’.
These awards, to be given away for one of the best performances amongst homeowners, professionals, and the equines, for the interval November 1, 2022 to October 31, 2023, are: Champion Owner, Champion Trainer, Champion Jockey, Champion Stud Farm and Horse Of The Year. In addition there may be the Hall Of Fame Award for excellent contribution and achievement within the subject of racing.
A report 176 runners have been declared to begin this weekend on the RCTC. 25 visiting trainers, 16 native trainers, and about 51 jockeys are possible to be in motion throughout the weekend.
In a span of 48 hours, the lads can be separated from the boys as one ushers in a new set of champions.
All-in-all, it promised to be a veritable feast of racing punctuated with leisure, pageantry and trend.
